Sleep Apnea Warning Signs Others Might Notice

Often, people first become aware of sleep-disordered breathing not because of what they experience but because of what others tell them. You should get tested if someone has seen you sleep and noticed signs such as pauses in breathing or loud snoring, as these could indicate the condition:

  • Snore loudly
  • Gasp or choke during sleep
  • Stop breathing
  • Grind your teeth at night
  • Sleep restlessly
  • Snore loudly
  • Gasp or choke during sleep
  • Stop breathing
  • Grind your teeth at night
  • Sleep restlessly

Snoring is one of the most noticeable warning signs of sleep-disordered breathing. Often, people come in for snoring treatment without realizing that they’re at high risk for the condition. The louder you snore, the higher your risk. Gasping, choking, and cessation of breath are all related to apneic episodes, indicative of when the condition occurs. Tooth grinding is commonly associated with sleep apnea. Your body is trying to do the same as an oral appliance: reposition your jaw to open your airway. This may only improve your breathing for a short time, but it can cause permanent damage to your teeth and jaw. Restless sleep, especially tossing and turning, can also be part of your body trying to improve breathing.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

If you sleep alone or if people in your house are heavy sleepers, your first sense of sleep-disordered breathing might be some of the subjective symptoms you experience. The most commonly reported symptoms include:

  • Morning headaches
  • Waking up unrested no matter how many hours you sleep
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Irritability
  • Loss of motivation
  • Inability to focus, think, or remember details
  • Frequent urination at night (nocturia)
  • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
  • Waking up unrested no matter how many hours you sleep
  • Irritability
  • Morning headaches
  • Inability to focus, think, or remember details
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Loss of motivation
  • Frequent urination at night (nocturia)
  • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

Morning headaches might be due to poor sleep or be related to teeth clenching and grinding, which exacerbates temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ/TMD). Many of us feel tired on a daily basis, but those affected by sleep apnea can never seem to get adequate rest, even with 8 hours of sleep or more—they are consistently sleepy throughout the day. Irritability, loss of motivation or joy in activities, difficulty concentrating, and memory impairment are common symptoms associated with the condition.

People with sleep-disordered breathing often need to urinate at night, which can be a warning sign. Additionally, the condition disrupts metabolism, making weight management challenging without changes in diet or activity level.

Medical Diagnoses Linked To Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Sometimes, people dismiss symptoms of sleep apnea as normal. We’re all tired, and none of us have the memory we did when we were young, right? That’s why it often takes a medical diagnosis for people to realize they have a severe problem. Some signs include:

  • High blood pressure, especially if it’s not responding to treatment
  • Diabetes
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Low testosterone
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Depression
  • High blood pressure, especially if it’s not responding to treatment
  • Diabetes
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Low testosterone
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Depression

Drug-resistant hypertension (high blood pressure) is prevalent in people with sleep apnea. That’s because your brain keeps telling your heart to pump harder every time your breathing stops, and it experiences oxygen deprivation. Medication-resistant hypertension is so common that many doctors consider it a characteristic illness of sleep apnea.

Diabetes is commonly linked to sleep apnea. It may be related to obesity, which is one of the causes of sleep apnea, but sleep apnea also makes diabetes more challenging to manage.

GERD is another explanation for why you’re having trouble sleeping at night. You might have the condition, but it’s worsened by sleep apnea.

Other diagnoses often mask the symptoms of sleep apnea. A diagnosis of sexual dysfunction, low testosterone, hypothyroidism, and depression may be a misdiagnosis of sleep apnea symptoms. Or perhaps you have these conditions, but their underlying cause is sleep apnea. Treating these conditions may not be effective unless you treat your sleep apnea.

Get Tested If You Suspect Sleep Apnea

Does reading the symptoms above make you think you have sleep-disordered breathing? If so, then it’s essential to get tested. As we said, most people with Breathing interruptions during sleep  don’t know they have it. Don’t ignore the risk–it could cost you your happiness, health, and even your life. Sleep-related airway obstruction is treatable, but the first step is getting tested.

At Tucker Dental Excellence, we work with many sleep centers in the area and can help you get tested for sleep apnea. Please call (814) 836-7777 to request an appointment.